Dahlak Archipelago, Lake Tana and Gezira Scheme, Eastern Africa

The blue waters of the Red Sea occupy the upper right corner of this image of eastern Africa. In the sea, just off the coast of Eritrea, are the islands of the Dahlak Archipelago.

Moving further inland, Lake Tana can be seen in the Ethiopian highlands. It appears tan in color from sediments. Upon opening the full image, the large Dek Island can be seen in the lake.

While much of the land west and immediately north of the lake appears green and brown in color, it becomes significantly more arid as one moves towards the upper left quadrant, west of the Nile River in Sudan.

The convergence of the Blue Nile (right) and the White Nile (left) Rivers to make the Nile River itself can be observed in the upper left quadrant as well. The irrigated fields between the two rivers up to their point of confluence are part of the agricultural project known as the Gezira Scheme.